For many of us, the pandemic has recalibrated the way we work and the way we play. With concerns that COVID transmissibility is enhanced through proximity and indoor settings, more people are spending time outside than ever before.
On the whole, this is a very good thing. We all benefit from time outside. And as our adventures take us further afield we will undoubtedly encounter the critters who live there.
Among them, ticks:
95% of vector-borne diseases in the United States come from ticks, with about 50,000 cases of tick-borne illnesses reported annually. This is mostly a concern for the eastern half of the country, but Dust and Tribe has guided a number of trips on the west coast and we’ve definitely encountered ticks in the wild.
We’re not going to spend a bunch of time in this post detailing all the different types of ticks and the surprisingly varied ways they can make our lives difficult. We’re here to talk about the reality that ticks are out there and the best way to avoid becoming a part of their life cycle.
Dust and Tribe has an affiliation with the Wilderness Medical Society. They convened a group of experts in 2021 to develop evidence-based guidelines for the prevention and management of tick-borne illnesses, and we’re going to share their findings. Bookmark this page and return to it anytime you plan to spend time in tick-country.
Where is Tick-Country?
Forest and grassland, particularly in shady areas. Folks camping at the beach or in the desert do not have to worry about ticks.
What Do Ticks Want With Me?
A blood-meal. They need the nutrition as part of their reproductive cycle. Young ticks, known as nymphs, hang out on the tips of leaves or grass, waiting for an animal host (or you) to pass by. They sense heat, vibration, and odors, and will reach out to grab a potential host as it passes by. Once they have hitched a ride, they will look for a safe place to feed with an ample blood supply. In children, this is often the head or the back of the neck. In adults, pretty much anywhere, but a German study revealed a seeming preference for the back of our knees.
Once they have found their preferred spot, they painlessly insert their mouthparts under the skin. If the tick happens to be infected, there is a possibility that the tick’s saliva will pass through to the host bringing one or a number of infectious agents along with it. We don’t want that.
Avoiding Ticks and Their Illnesses
Spending time out west is a good place to start. Even better, learn to love the beach and the desert. Fortunately for you, Dust and Tribe has a bunch of low-tick events worth checking out.
But if the mountains, hills, and forests are calling, choose cooler seasons when ticks are less active. May and June are peak periods of tick activity and the time when you should be most prepared.
Clothing
Long-sleeved and light colored. Covering your skin with light-colored clothing offers excellent UV protection and makes it much easier to spot any creepy-crawlies before they dig in.
Wash all clothes in hot water (>130˚F) and dry clothing on high heat for a 100% kill rate of any and all lingering ticks.
Tick Repellants
If you want results, you’re going to have make use of some pretty toxic chemicals. Treat all clothing and tent fabric with permethrin and apply DEET directly to your skin. This is really effective, though there are potential safety issues with DEET and it should never be used on kids less than two months of age. Kids up to age 12 should only use DEET concentrations of 10% or less. The higher the concentration, the less frequently DEET will need to be reapplied, so you might have to touch up the kids a couple of times a day.
You could use picardin instead of DEET. Research suggests that it has a superior safety profile, it’s odorless, and is not harmful to synthetic fabrics. It doesn’t have the long-term track record of DEET, but ongoing studies are very promising.
If you’re serious about tick prevention, don’t waste your time with essential oils as your primary defense. Feel free to spice yourself up for an extra layer of protection, but dousing yourself with clove and eucalyptus isn’t likely to do much more than make you slippery and delicious.
Tick Checks
Showering or bathing within two hours of returning from tick habitat is highly effective at eliminating any unlatched ticks, but this isn’t always possible while out in the field. Removing all clothing for a systematic tick inspection is the next best thing. Pay special attention to warm places like armpits, knees, the neck and hairline, ears, and navel.
Just be aware that a baby tick (nymph) is just as potentially harmful as its adult counterpart, but a WHOLE LOT harder to see
Tick Removal
If you see a tick, don’t freak out. Grab it as close to the skin as possible with tweezers or forceps and pull with straight, steady pressure perpendicular to the entry point. It won’t release right away- just maintain traction. Don’t jerk or twist. Eventually, the tick will relent.
Using a lit match, slathering the tick in Vaseline, or drowning it in fingernail polish are measures that will only make a mess or cause injury. Stick to mechanical extraction.
While you can get lots of different diseases from ticks, most require that the tick remain attached a minimum of 24 hours. That gives you plenty of time to do a nice, thorough inspection and remove any hitchhikers before it becomes a problem.
What If I Missed the Tick?
If, despite your light, long-sleeved clothing, your insecticides, your bathing, laundering, and regular tick-checks you discover that a tick has been in place for more than 36 hours, do not despair. See your primary care provider within 72 hours of attachment for a single dose of doxycycline 200 mg. This can be greatly effective in warding off any risk of Lyme disease prophylactically. If this window is missed or the tick is not noticed, but symptoms develop (rash, fever, headache) within 30 days of a suspected tick bite, you’ve still got an opportunity to head off serious chronic illness with a course of antibiotics.
With vigilance, the odds of avoiding any tick-borne illnesses are definitely in our favor.
I wrecked my ex-wife’s car because of a tick. I saw it crawling on my shirt up toward my neck, tried to swat it, but then it grabbed my finger. Next thing I know glass and airbags.
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